Two goals by Spanish international Garcia and Steven Gerrard's first of the season were enough to sink the French club who were forced to play the final 25 minutes with 10 men after Fernando Menegazzo was sent-off for lashing out at Norwegian international John Arne Riise.

Benitez's side were made to battle by a spirited Bordeaux side before Menegazzo's moment of madness saw Liverpool into the second phase of the competition with two games to spare.

Following recent criticism in the wake of his side's recent poor form in the Premiership -- both from within and outside Anfield -- Benitez was in a far better frame of mind ahead of this game after the impressive 3-1 win over Aston Villa at the weekend and able to concentrate his side on the job in hand against a Bordeauz side they beat 1-0 away a fortnight ago.

Just hours before kick-off, long-serving board member Noel White tendered his resignation after confirming he was the unnamed director quoted in a newspaper article which raised concerns about Benitez's leadership and also questioned his transfer dealings.

Yet White's decision to quit was overshadowed by Benitez's decision to name an unchanged starting line-up for the first time in 18 months after Gerrard and Momo Sissoko both passed late fitness tests on ankle injuries.

All three goals against Villa had come during a breathtaking first-half display, yet for the first 20 minutes against Bordeaux Liverpool were careless as they gifted their opponents possession too often for Benitez's liking.

Fortunately for the hosts Bordeaux lacked the quality to open up the home defence, Menegazzo's long-range effort, which had Jose Reina scrambling across his line, the closest the visitors came in a first half which saw Garcia break the deadlock with Liverpool's first serious raid.

Garcia produced a text book finish from a tight angle to beat former France keeper Ulrich Rame after connecting with Gerrard's dangerous 23rd minute cross.

Back-to-back successes in the French League Cup against Auxerre and in the French championship against Sedan had boosted Bordeaux's confidence ahead of their trip to Merseyside.

Without injured Czech Republic midfielder Vladimir Smicer, who helped Liverpool win the competition in 2005, they rarely looked like scoring their first goal in this season's competition.

Florian Marange forced a finger-tip save from Reina at the start of the second-half but Menegazzo's dismissal allowed Benitez's team to coast to victory.

The Bordeaux player appeared to head butt Riise in the 66th minute which resulted in the Liverpool player having to leave the field for treatment with blood pouring from a wound.

The hosts then scored twice in five minutes to seal a comprehensive victory.

Gerrard, who has come under fire from critics after below-par displays for club and country, showed his class to beat Rame after a defence-splitting pass by substitute Boudewijn Zenden in the 72nd minute.

Then Garcia capped a fine night's work by pouncing on a mistake by David Jammali to put the game out of reach.